"For us that are priests, it comes as a particular shock as we look to the Pope as a spiritual guide with great leadership and immense wisdom," Fr. David Endres said.

Endres is a historian for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and said a conclave of cardinals is expected to meet at the Vatican 15-20 days after the pope resigns to choose his replacement.

Cardinals under age 80 are eligible to vote and a two-thirds majority is required to be elected. There are approximately 120 eligible cardinals who can vote, Endres said.

The next pope could be African, Asian or non-European and Endres expects a new pope to be named by Easter.

"Even from the beginning, I wasn't sure if Pope Benedict wanted to be the pope at the time, so I really felt like he did this out of service to the church," said Doug Pace, of Loveland.

Rabbi Abie Ingber, executive director of the Center for Interfaith Community Engagement at Xavier University, reflected on reports that the pope, referring to his predecessor, would resign if he ever became frail.

"We thought that was a little bit of a slur against John Paul II," said Ingber, who's met Pope Benedict XVI twice. "In hindsight, he was learning how he would live his life, so it was shocking. But, on the other hand, I think it's a proud moment for the church."

About 500,000 Catholics live in the Greater Cincinnati area, and they'll watch the selection process for a new pope with keen interest.

"I'm intrigued, actually, to think that it could wind up being someone from South America, from Africa, that's really the growth areas for the church," said Ray Heyob, of White Oak.

Archbishop Dennis Schnurr commended the pope for acting "humbly and unselfishly for the good of the Church."

“I will always remember Pope Benedict as he described himself on the day of his election as pope in 2005 – ‘a simple, humble laborer in the vineyard of the Lord,’" Schnurr said in a statement. "When I was in Rome during the period that he was a prominent cardinal, I frequently would see him in St. Peter’s Square, mingling with the crowds in the simple black cassock of a priest."

Covington Bishop Roger Foys said Pope Benedict XVI had "a great integrity on his part."

"In his statement the Holy Father acknowledges that he is 'well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering,'" Foys said. "He has borne that suffering in an exemplary way in these difficult times in which we live when almost everything is questioned and even absolute truth, even the immutable truths of our faith, is called into doubt and moral relativism is the order of the day."

While some Catholics are comfortable with Pope Benedict XVI's conservatism, others see it as dated.

"I think women want to be more active participants in what goes on in the Catholic Church," said Shirley Schottelkotte, of Western Hills.